Tunneling machine



. WHITAKER AND H. CLBAXTER.

TUNNELING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 28. 1920.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET ln. WHITAKER AND H. c. BAXTER. TUNNELING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DOUGLAS WHITAKER AND HARQLD CGLE BAXTER, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

TUNNELENG MACHINE.

Application filed June 28,

To aZZ 70/ 10772 it may concern:

f it known that we, DOUGLAS lVHIrA nn ans. l'lAROLD Conn BAX'rnR, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Tunneling vilachines, (for which l have filed an application in England Oct. 6, 1 17, latent No. 119,112,) of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

'ihis invention relates to tunneling machines and more especially, though not necessarily exclusively, shield tunn ling machines, and has for its object the provision of improved means for the removal of the excavated material.

The invention consists of a tunneling machine having in combination, a rotating drum or centre piece provided on its front face with an inner series of cutters and lmckets and on its circumference with outer series of cutters and buckets, a semicircular hopper situated immediately behind the rotating drum or centre piece and being open at the front to the same to receive the excavated materialfrom the inner series. of buckets through openings in the drum, the buckets of the outer series projecting rearwardly from the drum over the hopper and being open on the side adjacent said hopper the bottom of the hopper forming a closure for the said open sides of the buckets during the time the latter are travelling round past the hopper, a trough extending rearwardly from the hopper, and a rotary worm conveyor to move the material along the trough, the front end of said conveyor extending into the hopper.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood a practical embodiment of the same is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing to which reference will be made in the following further de scription.

1n the drawing referred to Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tunneling machine provided with means for mechanically collecting and removing the excavated material. 1

Figure 2 is front elevation of the machine partly in section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

the rear Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

1920. Serial 11o. 392,432.

drawing, the rotarycutter head of the chine is equipped with a central or inner leading series of cutters 1 and an outer series of cutters 2. Combined with the cutters of the outer series are buckets 3 which receive the material excavated by said cutters. A sen icircular hopper t is situated behind and close in to the inner series of cutters, the lilla'jlCiS of the outer series being arranged to move round in close proximity to the bottom 5 of the hopper. On the side nearest tne hopper the buckets are open as will be seen by the sectional part of Figure 2, and the emicircular bottom 5 ofthe hopper forms closure for said open sides of the buckets during the time the latter are travelling round past the hopper. The contents of the buckets are retained therein by the adjacent bottom 5 of the hopperbut upon the'buckets passing above the upper edge 6 of the hopper and reaching a position where sufiicient angle is obtained, the contents slide out of the buckets into the hopper.

Thesemicircularhopper 4c is of a radius well." These inner cutters are formed like pockets or buckets on radial arms 7 of a drum or centre piece 8 to or upon the circumferential rim of which the buckets 3 are attached or formed. The pocket like cutters 1 of the inner. series discharge the material they excavate through openings 9 into the hopper 4c these openings being formed in the centre piece 8 for this purpose.

The centre piece or drum 8 may also carry segmental shield plates (not shown) disposed intermediately of the buckets 8 and ad ed to move round in advance of the cutters to prevent collapse of the face of the bore.

The hopper leis open at the front side to of the cutter head and closed at the back 10 (Figure 3) except where the conveyor trough 11 enters. suitably supported by the machine framework 12 and furnished with bearings 13 equal to or somewhat greater than that of J- This trough is,

carrying the rotary worm conveyor 14 which is driven by convenient means, such as chain gear 15, from the main drive 16. The bottom of the trough is level with the bottom of the hopper the front end of the worm conveyor extending into the hopper, as shown in Figure 1 to remove the collected material therefrom. 7

By means of the hereindescribed cutter head, hopper and conveyor, thernaterial as it is excavated, is mechanically collected and conveyed to the rear of the machine and may be discharged through an opening 17 in the through 11.

What we claim then is 1. A tunneling machine having, in combination, rotating drum, an inner series of cutters and buckets on the front face thereof, an outer series of cutters and buckon' the circumference of said drum, a semicircular hopper situated immediately behind the rotating drum and open at the trout to the same to receive'the excavated material from the inner series of buckets through openings in the drum, the buckets .ol the outer series projecting rearwardly from the drum over'the hoppc and being open on the s de ad acent thereto the bottom of the hopper forming a closure for the said open sides "of the buckets during the'time' the latter are travelling round past the hop per, a trough 3XtGl1CllI1Q' rearwardly from the "hopper, and a rotary worm conveyor to move buckets through openings in the drum, the

buckets of the outer series projecting rearwardly from the drum over the hopper and being open. on the side adjacent thereto the bottom of the hopper forming a closure for the said open sides of the buckets during the time the latter are'travelllng round past the hopper, a trough in open communication with the extending rearwardly from the hopper and carried by the frame, said hopper being carriedbythe trough and the bot-tom thereof being level with the bottom of said trough, a rotary worm conveyor to move the material along the trough and discharge same through an opening formed in the bottom thereof at the rear end, the front end of said conveyor extending into the hopper, and means to drive the conveyor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof: we ar'lix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

1 DOUGLAS WHITAKER:

HAROLD COLE BAXTER. 'VVitnesses: V c 1 I N. C. TAYLOR,

Gnonen Lnsrna. V i 

